"To My Son P1-Intro American Patriotism Civil War Military

TO MY SON.

My dear Son, — This book is written to benefit the living. If, by the grace of God, your life shall be spared until you are of proper age to read and understand what is herein written, I do earnestly hope that you may gain much benefit from its perusal. He only knows whether we shall have a country at all, by the time that you have grown to be a man! Was the great Rebellion only the beginning of her dying agonies, as portrayed by Daniel Webster? And must it be followed by other and more dreadful convulsions until her life has become extinct? Those who strove with bloody hands to destroy this free government, have all been pardoned, and even now, with audacity unparalleled, openly proclaim their determination to continue the strug- gle, until the Union is broken up and destroyed. O, it seems to me that we have been too lenient with traitors. The rebel leaders ought, at least, to have been prohibited from ever holding office in this country. How corrupt were the politicians that led the South into rebellion! And I greatly fear that the same corruption exists to-day amongst the acknowledged leaders of the North; and unless the people rebuke them, bring them down from their high places, putting new and honest men in their stead — not office-seekers, but men sought out and selected by the people; such as the people bring out, not such force themselves into notice — we will certainly be undone, and the country go to ruin; for politicians seeking for office are willing to sacrifice every sacred principle to gain high place. Men who have been honored by the people and supported by them all their lives, begin now to think, like spoiled chil-

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dren, that they are the head and front of all things; that they are of vast consequence, forsooth; that the Republic is but a medal to hang about their necks as a reward for what the people have already given them; as if there were not ten thousand farmers and as many mechanics and laboring men in these United States, better fitted by edu- cation and natural endowments of mind, and a thousand times better fitted by the possession of honest, patriotic, incorruptible hearts, to fill the offices, than any number of hungry politicians. May every man who seeks for office, meet with sad disappointment. May such never be elected. A great and good man will come to a high place with reluctance, acknowledging his incapacity to fill it accept- ably, as did Washington. He will also rejoice, as did the father of his country, when the time has arrived for him to return to his quiet home of retirement.

But, my son, it was not my purpose to say so much con- cerning the affairs of our country. I wish to teach you how to become a good citizen. This you cannot be with- out you are a good man. From what motives then must you act to be truly virtuous? Listen, and I will try briefly to inform you.

Remember that there is a God to whom we should be grateful, and ever consider what motives influence Him to action. He doth what is just and proper to be done, because it is just and proper; so you, my son, only study to know what is your duty, then go forward and do it, fearing nothing. How pernicious is that system of morals which teaches us to look for a reward for whatever good we may do in this life, as if man were a sordid creature and must be influenced only by motives of gain. "Love and serve God" (says the teacher of that false system) "that you may thereby gain an inheritance in heaven." "Love and serve Him" (says the teacher of truth) "because it is your duty to do so." What would you think of the soldier who goes forward to serve his country only on account of pay

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and bounty? Says the true American soldier, "I early imbibed a love for my country by reading its history, and I have frequently thought I would like to transmit to fu- ture generations something as a memento of my attach- ment to her; the opportunity offers and I embrace it, and if I once loved my country well enough to lay my life upon her altar, I now love it well enough to do the same thing though my life were a thousand times more precious." As was the love of this one for his country, so should ours be for whatever is true and good. We should choose death rather than do wrong knowingly. We should make it the chief study and desire of our lives to be good. How exalted is man possessed of an immortal soul! — capable of what noble achievements! He has grasped the lightning and made it subservient to his will. By the power of his mind he has brought together the distant parts of the earth. How pure and noble should be the actions of one so ex- alted in mind — so mighty in thought! As God is good, so should he be good also, and from the same motives, i. e., because it is right and in harmony with his exalted nature to he good. As we delight in sweet music, and in the har- mony of numbers, so should we delight in virtue.

Learning is desirable, and, my son, I would have you seek for knowledge as for hidden treasures; but virtue is true wisdom; virtue is the brightest jewel on earth; I would rather have that jewel in its perfection than to sit upon the throne of Solomon. What is virtue? It is to despise death; to hold pain and pleasure in contempt; to consider hoarded wealth nothing but folly; to love truth; to love a good name; to love one's country; to love God; to love health; to love friends and home; to hate no living crea- ture; to fear nothing; to be hospitable and kind and brave and magnanimous; to cherish a pride of self, but always walking meeklv before men, and humble like a little child. There is a certain love of self which is proper and com- mendable. It is to realize the dignity of one's own soul

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and mind; but with men as with stocks of ripened wheat, the heads that are fullest are the most bowed down. Jesus, our dear Saviour, knew that he was the Son of God — was conscious of the divinity in him; but yet he was meek and lowly. He was too proud to commit sin; but he was not too proud to visit the lowly and the poor — to heal the sick. He went about doing good; nor did he visit the poor as many who pretend to be his followers do in our day, dressed in silk, embroidered with gold. But the poor felt that he was one of them, though he was richer than all the world. So should we be meek, and go about doing good. God has given us a gift in value exceeding the finest gold, worth more than worlds. It is an immortal mind — a soul that must continue to live while time shall last. Yes, long after the sun that now shines in heaven has ceased to give light. Let us be proud of that gift. How many young men, intemperate and immoral in their lives and practices, continue on in their wickedness and folly, feeling mean and contemptible, who, if they had a horse, or even a dog, that they could call their own, would take the greatest care of it possible. They do not value themselves as much. They may dress ever so fine; they may hold their heads ever so high; they are vain, but they have not real pride that is commendable. They know not what true honor or true manliness is. They are ignoble and vile. If one realizes the real worth of himself he will live as becomes a man. "Jesus," Rousseau says, "lived and died like a God." There is the true motive of action. Live as becomes a man. True pride, true dignity, true honor do this; not from fear of punishment; not from hope of reward; but to do less must lead one to despise himself. As you value yourself, so you will live a noble or an ignoble life. Love the soul and mind that God has given you above all riches; honor yourself, your im- mortal self; honor the country in which you live, and the world; honor God. Let it be said of you in after days:

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"It is good that this man was born." These are the sublime thoughts which I hope may actuate you at all times. How noble it is to do right always; how mean to do wrong at any time.

Whoever acts from any motive other than a desire to do right for its own sake, though he may live ever so exem- plary a life, cannot be called a good man. Suppose he tries to be a Christian, and feels in his heart that it is for the reward that he follows after the Saviour, or for fear of punishment that he keeps from outbreaking sin; is he a good man? What reward did Jesus hope for that led him to come down amongst men and suffer on the cross? None verily. Nor can the follower of Jesus work for a reward; but like Job, he says in his heart, "Though he slay me yet will I trust in him." The light of nature enabled the ancient Greeks and Romans to discover not only the exist- ence of Deity and the immortality of the soul, but by reason and philosophy they had arrived at a pure code of morals — not equaling, however, the instructions of the Saviour who said, "Love your enemies;" yet it is a wonder to me that the moral works of Cicero, and other ancient philoso- phers, are not more studied in our day than they are; for (God having given men reason to find out truth) those wise sages had discovered much that is beautiful and beneficial. There is nothing more sublime, except the Holy Scriptures, than the noble book of Cicero's called the "Offices," and his essays on "Friendship" and "Old Age." They have been translated into our language; but they are very little studied at present. "Though," says he, "we could conceal any trans- action from all gods and men, yet nothing avaricious should be done, nothing unjust, nothing licentious, nothing inconti- nent. To this purpose Plato introduces that celebrated Gy- ges, who, when the earth had opened in consequence of cer- tain heavy showers, descended into that chasm, and as tra- dition goes, beheld a brazen horse, in whose side was a door, on opening which, he beheld the body of a dead man of ex-

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traordinary size, and a gold ring upon his finger, which, when he had drawn off, he himself put it on, and then betook him- self to the assembly of the shepherds (for he was the king's shepherd). There, when he turned the stone of the ring to the palm of his hand, he was visible to no person, but him- self saw everything; and when he had turned the ring to its proper place, he again became visible. Having employed, then, this convenience of the ring, he committed adultery with the queen, and with her assistance slew the king his master, and got rid of those whom he considered likely to oppose him. Nor could any one discover him in these crimes; so with the assistance of the ring he suddenly sprung up to be King of Lydia. Now if a wise man had this ring itself, he would think that he was no more at liberty to commit crime than if he had it not. For virtue, not secrecy, is sought by good men."

Thus wrote philosophers long before our Saviour was born, and wise men spent their lives in imparting to the youth lessons of virtue. Proud was a young man then, to have it said of himself, "He is virtuous." To-day young men seem to prize virtue not at all; but are only anxious to have it said of themselves, "He is learned." What is learning without virtue? It is strength given to ferocious beasts. It seems to me that in colleges and institutions of learning the great object should be to implant in the minds of the youth the seeds of virtue. How is this part, this most essential part of an education neglected in our day! I have known young men, fresh from our most renowned institutions of learning, having graduated with the high- est honors, their minds stored with all kinds of useful knowledge, except the knowledge how to be good — I have known them, I say, sink into drunkards' graves at an early age, from the habits of intemperance acquired while attend- ing college. They went away from home innocent and pure in heart, in mind uneducated. They returned home at the end of their college term, corrupt in heart, the slaves of

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evil habits, their minds highly cultivated. The student must start out with the thought, "I would rather be virtu- ous than possess the wealth of kingdoms; I desire to be- come a good man." His passions and appetites must be controlled. He must "rule his own spirit."

So, my son, remember that it is not for office, nor power, nor wealth, nor fame that you should struggle in this life, but to become a "perfect man." When you have acquired all knowledge, and have become as good and great as it is possible for man to be, though you may follow the plough all your life, and be only known to your own family and a few friends, the consciousness of greatness in your own heart will be abundant satisfaction to you — of more value than to have occupied the place of chief magistrate of the United States. All men cannot be distinguished who are virtuous and brave and noble. A little circumstance often brings men of worth into notice who would otherwise have passed their lives in obscurity. As I have written elsewhere, Grant would in all probability have lived unknown to his country- men and the world, but for the circumstance of the Rebel- lion. Yet he would have been as great in the estimation of his own consciousness and in the sight of God as he now is; and what is a man's life worth beyond its real weight in the estimation of one's own mind and that of God?

Polk Co. IAGenWeb

TO MY SON.